The drive assembly comprises an intermediate bearing, a constant velocity universal joint, a shaft journal which is rotatably held in the intermediate bearing and which, by means of a free journal end, is inserted into the inner joint part of a constant velocity universal joint. The drive assembly also comprises a rolling boot which is connected to the outer joint part by means of a first collar and which is positioned on the shaft journal via a second collar.
A drive assembly with a driveshaft and an intermediate bearing of the above-mentioned type is known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,196, for example. It has always been regarded as desirable to keep the axial distance between the resilient intermediate bearing of a propeller shaft and the adjoining constant velocity universal joint as short as possible. However, when using plunging joints it is desirable to provide shaft journals with a long length with correspondingly long rolling boots to seal the joint even under conditions of extreme axial displacements in the propeller shaft.
However, so far, when fixed joints are used next to the resilient intermediate bearings of propeller shafts, it has been necessary to use relatively long journal lengths of the shaft journal arranged therebetween in order to make it possible to mount the collar of the rolling boot to be secured to the shaft journal. For positioning the clamp band, the rolling boot collar has to be freely radially accessible. Such a drive assembly is known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,379,255.
The prior art drive assemblies lead to low internal bending frequencies of the entire propeller shaft which, disadvantageously, are easily reached under operational conditions and which can cause strong vibrations in the region of the intermediate bearing assembly to achieve a variable distribution of torque.